Twenty One Secrets
by rise-fall
Summary: Patrick's willing to do anything to figure out more about Kat and her past. Anything meaning blackmail, flattery, and various threats.
1. Bargains and Blackmail

10 Things I Hate About You and all its wonderful characters aren't mine. I just like the write about them, haha. :)

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Finally, it was here. After almost a week of waiting as it made its way from Ohio, I had it.

Kat Stratford was the epitome of mystery- I wanted more than anything to get to know her, but she refused to reveal anything. I had tried for months now to get into her head, but I hadn't made any progress. (And, for the record, daily verbal sparring and bleeding toes didn't count.)

So, I decided on a different tactic. It had taken time- outrageously long nights stalking people online and paying off whoever could provide the next lead- but it was definitely worth it.

Clenched in my hands was the single most damning piece of evidence that she could ever imagine.

Kat would be eating out of the palm of my hand.

And that's just how I wanted it.

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"Not in the mood, Verona." She slammed her locker shut, turning to glare at me. I couldn't help but smirk.

"You're never in the mood." She sighed, slinging her bag over her shoulder before stalking out the front doors. "Give me a chance to explain."

"Not interested, unless it involves your impending incarceration." I sped up to walk along side her and chuckled.

"Come on, you know I'm too smooth to get caught." She rolled her eyes, but still gave me a small smile.

"Alright, I give in. What's so important that you had to chase me down?" She was right- we were now standing in front of her car.

"I wanted to ask you something."

"Shoot."

"How would you feel doing whatever I want?" Her mouth literally fell open, making a petite 'o', before she snapped it shut and glared.

"And I would want to do that, why?" I smirked, leaning up against her car's door. She stood, hands on her hip, tapping her foot impatiently.

"Just asking, that's all."

"Well, could I ask you something?" She was smirking now, which usually meant she had something smart to say. I smiled, before nodding. "Were you dropped on your head as a small child? Or are you actually that dumb?"

"Now, now, Kat, no need to be mean. It was a simple question." She rolled her eyes. "I just wanted to give you the opportunity to say yes, willingly, before I forced you." She bit out a laugh, before stepping towards me, swiftly closing the distance between us so that we were centimeters apart. She was too close for me to think straight and I could tell she was thinking the same thing. She bit her lip before sneering at me

"You think you can force me? That's hilarious, Verona. Really, you're a bucket of laughs."

I grinned and nodded. "Last chance."

Kat raised an eyebrow and shook her head, stepping back to stand beside me. "Never. There's no way on earth, I'd willingly tell you jack."

"Welll, I can't say I'm surprised." I slammed my bag onto the hood of her car, rifling through it.

"Hey, watch it! I don't want your atomic bomb of a bag making dents in my car."

I rolled my eyes, "Like it would make a difference." She frowned, but I chose to ignore it and continued looking through my bag. Finally, I close my hands around a small envelope and yanked it out. She again raised an eyebrow as I stuck it out to her.

"What is that?" She had confused written all over her face. I smirked, mentally categorizing this face as one I enjoyed.

"Open it up and see for yourself." She frowned again before slowly pealing back the lip of the envelope, her hands shakily pulling the photograph out. She had gone completely white, her mouth yet again had dropped, and she was staring at it as if in a trance. She was quiet, before glaring up at me.

"WHERE THE HELL DID YOU GET THIS, PATRICK?!" She was livid and I swear I could see the steam pouring out of her nose. She crumpled the picture up, throwing it to the ground and stomping on it a few times.

"Kat, no littering! You wouldn't want to be a hypocrite, now would you?" I bent to pick it up and she whopped me on the back of my head. "That hurt," I snipped, rubbing the spot she had smacked.

"Tell me where you got that now." I shrugged my shoulders. "Did Bianca give it to you?" I shrugged again, laughing to myself. "There's no way she could have…I burned all the ones we had. That means…" She glared at me. "Who?"

I smirked. "Who what? I'm confused." She clenched her teeth and took a few shallow breaths. I could decided which I liked more- the confused Kat or the fuming one.

"What soon-to-be-murdered asshole in Ohio gave this to you?"

"No one gave me anything." She was silent and it looked like she was debating whether or not to taser me. "I paid for it. No dirty dealing. It's mine now, fair and square."

"Why the hell would you want… that?" She spit out, pointing at the crumpled ball in my hand. I chuckled, stuffing it back in my bag.

"Blackmail, of course. How else will I get you to tell me your heart's deepest desires?"

"You wouldn't."

I smirked. "What kind of juvenile delinquent would I be if I didn't?"

She stared at me in disbelief, before stuttering, "You… you would really… blackmail me?"

"Absolutely. You won't do anything for me without a little persuasion. I've got no other choice."

"You could burn it and forget you ever saw it."

"No way, I need something to remember _Katie_ by." She glared at me.

"You. are. an. ass." I smirked and she punched my shoulder.

"Come on, I think you were a cute cheerleader."

She glowered, whispering in her most threatening tone, "Don't say that too loud. People might hear you."

"I'd hope so. I bet Padua's entire student body would love to hear about Katie Stratford's days as the head cheerleader." She looked sick, but I couldn't help myself, "Rumor has it you dated the starting quarterback too… damn, Chastity would be so proud."

She suddenly looked very small and slumped back against her car. She opened her mouth to say something, but no words came out. Her eyes closed, a few stray tears slipping down her cheeks.

Who was this? This wasn't the Kat that I had, as much as I hated to admit it, become obsessed with. Kat was strong and above all the petty crap Padua had to offer. But the girl in front of me now? This was someone else, a typical high school teenager with a lack of confidence, trying to find it in another person.

She frowned, hastily wiping her eyes, before shoving her hands in her pockets. I reached out to her, but she slapped my hand away, before glaring up at me.

"I hate you, Patrick Verona. I really do hate you." She opened her car door, sliding in and jamming the keys into the ignition. "Do what you want with that picture. I honestly don't give a fuck."

"Kat…" She ignored me, slamming the door and switching the radio on. I sighed. This didn't go how I planned it. Apparently, something a lot more serious had gone on in Ohio that I didn't know about… yet.

"Um… Patrick, right?" I spun around to find Kat's little sister, holding onto her mascot costume. I nodded and she fidgeted, like she couldn't find the right words. "Um, Kat… she doesn't, she doesn't really hate you. Even if she says she does..." She started to babble, "Kat really seems to like you… which is weird. I mean, she doesn't exactly play well with others… you two do though…"

The car door was thrown open and Kat shouted, "We're leaving, _now_." Bianca smiled sheepishly before tossing her things in the backseat.

"Bye, Patrick. We'll see you soon, right?" Kat glared at her, before slamming the door again and giving me the finger.

"Count on it."

She smiled. "That's…"

"BIANCA!" Kat yelled, revving the engine, and Bianca rolled her eyes, before getting in the car.

So maybe blackmail wasn't the best approach, but I had another option.

Bianca waved as they pulled out of the parking lot and Kat slapped her hand down.

Her sister.

_fin._

Did I make Patrick evil enough? I was debating about whether or not he was too nasty. Let me know through a review and gimme some feedback! :)

Thanks for reading.


	2. Tit for Tat

Thanks so much for the reviews, guys. :) Now, to answer a few questions! This will be a multi-chapter story and, yes, the title does refer to how many secrets Kat will tell… but that's giving too much away! Another thing- the story will switch back and forth between points of view. Last chapter was Patrick, this one Kat, and so on.

And I really appreciate all the feedback I got on Patrick. It wasn't my intention to make him 'evil', but I did want him to earn the unruly status that he's got on the show.

Oh, before I forget- looking for the disclaimer? Check chapter one, por favor. It'll be that way for the remainder of the chapters. I don't want to keep putting it in.

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"No, no, no, no!" I threw myself on my bed, burying my head in a pillow.

Patrick Verona knew. He knew. He knew about cheerleading and Katie.

Worst of all, he knew about Jake. Well, maybe he didn't know his name, let alone all the gory details, but the fact that he knew that there had been a Jake was enough.

And Patrick wanted to blackmail me now? Great, so he had that bad boy reputation for a reason. Did he really think he could bully me into telling him my secrets? Doubtful.

If only he hadn't looked so damn good doing it…

"No!" I repeated, burying my head further into the pillow. That was beside the point. He had gone to all sorts of trouble to get a hold of that picture, which was probably the last in existence, and proceeded to try and use it against me.

Instead of plotting revenge like normal, all I could to was wonder why he'd done it. Why had he bothered? Could Patrick be so bored that the only way he could think to entertain himself was to make my life miserable?

That stupid high school girl inside of me thought different though. I couldn't squash the notion that maybe he was doing it for another reason…

Whatever, I didn't care why he was doing it. He still had the picture and the ability to ruin my reputation. Not that I was concerned about what the rest of Padua thought about me- I just wanted to avoid the perky requests to join the squad.

Because, let's face it, when it came to cheerleading, I was no slouch, as much as I hated to admit it. Being one hell of a flyer, although embarrassing, was one of my talents.

"KAT!" Bianca charged into my room, slamming the door shut behind her. "We need to talk and we need to talk now!"

I rolled over, glaring at her. "This isn't a war zone- you don't have to scream."

She sat down on my bed with a huff and crossed her arms. "You're impossible, you know that, right?"

I smirked. "Oh, do tell."

"Why can't you just go out with Patrick so I can date?" I stared at her. This was what she was referring to? I thought that I had at least done something of importance. But this was Bianca. Her world consisted of two things: cheerleading and dating a football player.

Huh, maybe it ran in the family.  
At least I knew she'd grow out of it.

"…if you would just stop being so stubborn! He obviously likes you!" Oops, she had been talking the entire time. I tried paying attention, but her whole speech only proved how self-centered she was.

"Bianca, do you really want your dearest sister to go out with a rumored cannibal just so you can go on a date? That's horrible." She rolled her eyes.

"Can't you be normal for once?!"

"Dating an escaped murderer isn't normal."

She threw her arms in the air. "Please, Kat! Just for one night. And you know the rumors aren't true! I know you like him too."

"No."

"Why?! Can't you do this one tiny thing for me?" Did I mention that persistence also ran in the family?

"I'm sorry, Bianca, no." She shrieked, before standing up and squaring off to face me.

"Okay, Kat, I know that you two are in a fight right now…" I quirked an eyebrow. My little sister had become quite perceptive. I gave her a look, which according to the universal sister code meant an explanation was needed.

"Well, you two were obviously going at it when I came over to the car. Why else would you be blasting NPR and pointedly ignoring him?"

I sighed. The only way I was getting out of this was to just say it.

"Uggg! Kat, why can't you just forgive him for whatever he did?"

"Because he…" I sighed again. "He knows."

"… knows about..?" Her face had confusion written all over it, but that was quickly replaced with shock. "Wait… HE KNOWS YOU AREN'T A VIRGIN!?!"

I jumped up and clamped a hand over her mouth. "Shhh! Dad's going to hear you!" She nodded slowly. "And, no, he doesn't know about that."

She shook me off, sitting back down on the edge of my bed. "Then, what are you talking about?"

"He knows… he knows about Ohio."

"He knows that it's a state? Wow, Kat, he's a real keeper." She rolled her eyes, crossing her arms again. "Big deal. I don't see why you care…"

"No, he knows about _Ohio_, as in _Katie_."

Bianca stared at me, her eyes practically the size of the vinyl records I had stacked in the corner.

"No way."

"Yeah, he even knows about... the cheerleading and Jake."

"O-M-G, Kat! How did he find..." She stopped, thrusting her hands out at me, like she was trying to defend herself. "I swear, I didn't tell him! You have to believe me! I value my face too much to consider something that drastic!"

I rolled me eyes. "No, he found out from someone back in Ohio. He even has a picture!"

"Oh… that's just spooky! What now? Does he want something from you now?"

"He wants me to tell him my secrets." Never in my life had I been so forthcoming with Bianca. It was weird, talking to her like this, but weird in a good way. We never talked and definitely not about this.

I'm just going to chalk it up to a bad day.

"Ahhh! Patrick wants you!"

I stared at her like she was crazy, which she was.

"Kat, for someone who used to be so popular with the boys, you know nothing about them."

I shot her a look. Just because Patrick had brought up the past didn't mean that she could.

"Okay, okay, no more about Ohio. But, think! Why else would Patrick try to get to know your past?"

"Well, blackmail for one."

"Nooo. Guys don't do stuff like this to be mean."

"Oh?"

"Yes! This is a romantic peace offering. Patrick's trying to tell you that he's tired of provoking you and he wants to be serious!"

I couldn't help rolling my eyes again. Once she started on her romantic teen movie rant, Bianca wouldn't (and probably couldn't) stop.

"Seriously! Patrick is trying to show you that, even though he loves teasing you, he wants it to be more than that! This is your moment, Kat!"

"How so?"

She groaned. "Can you be any dumber? You have to make the next move. Show him how you feel, since he has already shown you how he feels."

"Sweet Jesus, Bianca, did you slip in the shower and bump you head again?"

"Kaaat! This is his way of showing you affection. You better do something about it… I really want to go out some time." She got up and walked toward the door. "Oh!" She spun around, glaring at me. "For the record, I only slipped once and Daddy said there was no brain damage!"

I laughed as she stormed out and laid back down on my bed, staring up at the ceiling.

"She's right, Stratford. You've gotta do something about it."

I could have sworn my head hit the ceiling I jumped so quickly. Sitting casually on my window sill was none other than the man of the hour, Patrick Verona. He smirked as I gaped at him.

"How long have you been there?"

"Well, I was outside when your sister made the virgin comment." He pushed off the window and sauntered over to my bed, plopping down near me, too close for comfort. "I'm impressed, by the way."

I glared at him. "You didn't think you should have made your presence known?"

"I thought about it, but decided against it."

"Really, how'd you come up with that?"

He smirked. "Just coming in and announcing myself wouldn't have been very gentlemanly like, now would it? What if you had been indecent?" He grinned and then chuckled. "Not that I would have minded though."

"And you decided to be a perfect gentleman by listening in on our conversation?"

"I tried not to listen, but your voices were awfully loud." He smirked again and I resisted the urge to slap him.

"You can add eavesdropping and home invasion to your list of offenses now."

"The list's getting pretty long."

I nodded. "Yeah, as in epic poem long." He laid back on my bed, propping himself up on his elbows. "Is this the part where you tell me why you snuck in through my bedroom window?"

"Nope, this is the part where you tell me what you're gonna do."

"About what?" I asked innocently.

"According to your sister, I've declared my love for you and that it's your move. What's your plan?"

"Hmm, I was thinking about seducing you into giving me the picture."

He leered at me, amusement dancing in his eyes. "I like that idea… the seduction part, I mean."

"I was joking."

"Sure you were."

I ignored him, partly because a response would do nothing, but mostly because he was right. "I answered your question, now answer mine."

"What was that again? I've forgotten."

"Why are you here?"

"To talk to you, obviously."

The urge to smack him was stronger than before. "It couldn't wait until tomorrow?"

"It could have."

I growled. "Is there an actual point to your visit?"

"Yes," he drawled out, deliberately slow.

"And?"

He smiled, his hands now behind his head as he lounged across the bed.

"Patrick…"

He chuckled. "Alright, alright. I've come to renew my offer."

"Your offer?"

"The one with you telling me your secrets and me not distributing the picture."

"No." I got up from the bed and went for my laptop, under the pretense of getting work done. He followed me, leaning against the wall next to my desk.

"Come on, let's be reasonable. I won't tell anyone."

"Again, the answer is no, Verona. Tomorrow and the day after, it will still be no."

"Anything that'll change your mind? I really don't want to be behind the sudden rise in the ranks of popularity. Plus, I don't want to share you with the football players." He winked.

This time, I couldn't resist the desire to punch him and I knocked him right in the shoulder.

He chuckled. "You sure have a temper."

"And a nice right hook, don't you think?"

"Really, what can I do to get you to accept the offer?" He was serious now, all jokes and games aside. I sighed.

"Just destroy the picture."

"I can't. It's the only leverage I have on you."

I sat down in my desk chair. I had two options, neither involving the picture being disposed of.

One, I could continue to refuse to offer. He would only show it around school, making my life a living hell.  
Or two, I could go along with his plan and do as he wanted.

I hung my head. "Fine, Patrick, I accept your offer." He grinned, but it faltered as I said, "On one condition."

"Shoot."

"That this'll be a two way street."

"Meaning?"

"If you want to know about the skeletons in my closet, I want to known about yours too."

He frowned, crossing his arms as he contemplated my proposal.

"Alright."

"Alright?"

"You've got a deal. A secret for a secret, starting tomorrow." I nodded, as he made his way over to the window. "See you then." He smirked as he climbed through the window. I turned back toward my desk, realizing how much homework I had.

"Oh, and Kat?" I looked around to face.

"Yeah?" He had that annoying 'I'm so good' look on his face.

"I'm looking forward to it." And with that, he was gone.

_fin._

The secrets start coming out next chapter!

I start school next Monday (nooo!) so I'll try to write as much as I can before then. After that though, updates won't be as frequent.

Thanks for reading and don't forget to review.


	3. Scout's Honor

Thanks for all the reviews, guys! :) I really appreciate them.

And as promised, this chapter has a secret or two in it. Enjoy!

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I sat on the curb in front of my bike, waiting for her and that clunker to arrive. It was ten minutes after eight and she still wasn't here. I heard the warning bell and watched as a few stragglers rushed off to their classes.

Was she ditching school just to avoid our little secret exchange?

The screech of brakes announced their arrival.

"Bianca, if you had just remembered that you have to shut the goddamn thing off, I wouldn't be late!" Kat had just slammed the car door and was storming toward the building, Bianca trailing behind her. They were arguing, as usual.

"It's not my fault! I thought it just shut off on its own!"

"You've had that damn flat iron since you started junior high and haven't yet figured out that there's an off switch?!"

Needless to say, Kat was pissed.  
Not exactly the best time to remind her of our deal.

I got up, following behind them. The bell rung and I heard Kat screech, practically sprinting off to her locker. She hated to be late and hated when other people were late, which she had informed me of when I had shown up late to class and interrupted one of her speeches on communist China.

Bianca, instead of following her sister's example, turned around and faced me.

"Sorry," she said softly and frowned.

"About…?"

"Well, I'm the reason we're late. I kinda sorta left the flat iron on this morning and it set the fire alarm off. Kat had to deal with the firefighters…she is so pissed at me right now!"

"Why are you apologizing to me then?"

"Weren't you looking forward to talk to Kat this morning? I mean, I saw you when we pulled up, waiting on her to get here."

I smirked. "I've got next class with her. She's in just the right mood to deal with me, don't you think?"

"You've been warned." She smiled, before walking off down the hall.

---------------------------------------------------

"Thank you for joining us, Mr. Verona. Fashionably late, as usual," Mr. Parker gave me a look as I took my seat, right next to Kat. Her face was buried in her bag and she was muttering.

"Of course, you know how I like to arrive in style." I winked at him and he sighed. Mr. Parker was one of few teachers that I actually got along with at Padua. He had recently graduated, so he could easily relate to his students and made a great Lit teacher.

His witty remarks and snappy comebacks made his class even better.

I pulled out a copy of _Mutiny on the Bounty_ and flipped to the page written on the board. Everyone else was paying attention and copying down notes as Mr. Parker lectured on about the actions of William Bligh.

All except the bookworm.

Instead, she was still face down and her mumbling had become logical. Something about the demise of modern society… typical Kat Stratford business.

"Alright, so pair up, guys. You can work on the next few pages with a partner, as long as there isn't any funny business." Mr. Parker glared at two giggling girls in the front and they nodded solemnly. Another great thing about Mr. Parker was that he could be cool, but still scare the shit out of you.

Everyone started moving their desks around, chattering happily about getting to work together. Kat still haven't moved. I crumpled up a piece of paper and tossed it at her. She sat up angrily and sent me a look, that had I been a weaker guy, would have made me cry.

"You're not following directions, Kat."

She continued with that scathing look.

"We're supposed to be partnering up. You know, work together, that sort of thing."

"So?" She looked around the room and everyone had started working.

"Looks like we're partners."

She groaned. "God has chosen today of all days to stick me with you? That sick son of bitch."

"Yeah, the big guy upstairs has a great sense of humor."

She was right about not being in the mood- she completely ignored my comment and started searching through her bag for the book. "Can we get this over with? Whatever this is?"

"Weren't you paying attention?"

"I understand the directions perfectly- I just wanted you to rephrase them." She rolled her eyes. "I wasn't paying attention."

"That's a first." She glared at me.

"Just tell me what the damn assignment is so we can finish it."

"On one condition."

"You're all about those, huh?"

"Other way around, sweetheart." She grimaced, but I continued, "I'll tell you what the assignment is if you tell me one secret right her, right now."

"Come on, Patrick! We're in the middle of class. Can't this wait until afterwards?"

I shook my head. "Nope, secret first, then you get the assignment."

She groaned. "Fine, as long as you tell one too."

"See? You are the one that makes up all the rules." Kat rolled her eyes, which she seemed to do a lot more when I was around. "But, I'll go for it. You first."

"What kind of skeleton would you like to uncover?"

"Any kind. Doesn't matter to me."

"Alright, when I was six, I climbed up a tree because I wanted to be on top of the world and it was the tallest thing around."

It was my turn to roll my eyes. "That's not a _real_ secret. I was expecting more along the lines of 'I lost my virginity to insert-name-here.' kinds of secrets."

She laughed. "You didn't specify."

"I'm specifying now. Now little kid secrets about how you ate crayons or wanted to be a princess."

"You can't change the rules now, especially after I told you one! You're the only person that knows about why I climbed trees."

"I'm the one with the picture, Kat. I can do whatever I want."

She stared at me, a little fear now evident in her eyes. It was obvious how much she valued her reputation.

"Too true, Verona… but why are you obsessed with digging up dirt on me anyways?"

I flashed her a grin, which she returned with another one of her famous death glares. "That's one of my secrets."

"Will you tell me if I tell you a real one of mine?"

"Perhaps. It's high unlikely though."

"But there's still a possibility, right?"

"You'll just have to take your chances." She huffed, frowning as she crossed her arms and leaned back in the desk.

"So I have to trust you?"

I smirked. "Seems like it."

"You aren't a very trustworthy person."

I leaned across the desk. "I am, you just don't know me that well."

"Well, then, here's a proposition for you- I'll tell you something true and real that no one else knows and you tell me why you're fixated on airing out my dirty laundry."

"Sure thing." Kat gave me a look that conveyed just how much she didn't trust me.. "Scout's honor."

"Alright…" she bit her lip, contemplating what to tell. "Right after my mom died, my dad sent me to therapy because he thought I was acting strangely. The therapist told me that, since I had felt such a deep connection with my mom, I had shut off the world after she was gone. He told me that I had a mask on and that no one could see the real me… I don't think he even knows how right he was." She sighed and folded her hands in her lap.

"When I was in middle school and then for the first two years of high school, I kept that mask on and I just did things, not because I wanted to, but because other people wanted me to. I felt that if I could fly under the radar and not stand out, no one would see how hurt I was. I ended up in cheerleading because my friends told me to do it. I ended up dating guys I didn't really like because people told me I should. I did a lot of things I really regret, all because someone told me I should.

"And part of the reason Bianca wants to be popular is because of me. I was so stupid… she looked up to me and wanted to do the same things I did. She tried so hard to be popular, so that she could be like her big sister..."

She slumped back in her desk.

"But, one day, I realized that I couldn't keep living like that. I took the mask off and started being me."

The bell rung, but she didn't seem to notice. Kat was too caught up in a wave of memories and guilt. I stuffed my books in my bad and grabbed her stuff. She looked up at me, quizzically.

"Story time's over, Kat. It's time for lunch." She nodded, getting up and following behind me. She was quiet and wasn't even fighting me- I didn't like it.

I slung her bag over my shoulder, turning down the hallway. She shuffled behind me, not bothering to ask where we were going.

"Don't you care where I'm taking you?"

"Not particularly. I'm not really paying attention." Her voice is subdued and I was reminded of how she had acted when I first showed her the picture. I didn't like this side of her at all.

"What if I'm leading you off to murder you?" I joked halfheartedly, hoping she'd have some comment to make.

"Mhm, do your worst."

I lead her to a door that was clearly marked 'Do Not Enter' and opened it, motioning for her to go inside. She did, with no protest, and I followed behind her. The stairs led up to the roof, one of my favorite places on campus.

Kat took the stairs slowly, he hand gripping the rail. I guessed that she didn't like to talk all too much about the past, given how shaken she was now. She stopped and I barely avoiding hitting her.

"Patrick?" She had turned to face me now; her eyes seemed vacant and lost.

"Yeah?"

"What about your secret?"

Of course she wouldn't forget, not even if she had just admitted one of her deepest darkest secrets.

"What about it?"

"When are you going to tell me?"

"When we get up to the roof."

"Why not now?"

"I like a nice atmosphere when I pour out my soul's secrets."

She half-heartedly rolled her eyes. "Ever the romantic, Verona."

I smirked and grabbed her hand. She flinched from my touch but didn't jerk away. I pulled her through the door at the top of the stairs and we were instantly greeted by bright California sunshine.

"See? This is what I'm talking about. Picturesque blue sky and white clouds, birds chirping…"

"Smog polluting the atmosphere, eighteen wheelers blaring their horns as they dump great big clouds of black smoke into the air."

I chuckled. "Don't be such a pessimist, Kat. Life is good. Enjoy it."

She rolled her eyes and plopped herself down on the ledge. I walked over and seated myself next to her. "Your turn."

"For what?"

"Answer the question, Patrick."

"Don't know what you're talking about. " I smirked and she swatted my arm.

"Why is it you went to so much trouble to blackmail me? It's such a time-consuming, yet fruitless task, so it can't be because you're just bored. And you haven't said anything about compensation, so it can't be about money either…"

I laughed, reaching out toward her face and cupping her check in my hand. She stopped talking immediately and flushed.

I slung my arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer, her cheek pressed into my shoulder. "I find you interesting." She pulled away, shocked. "And I want to know everything about you."

_  
fin._

Okay, so Patrick didn't really reveal any secrets, but I swear, next chapter, he will.

I might update once more before I go back to school, but I can't make any promises.

Thanks again for all your lovely reviews!

Thank you for reading and don't forget to review. :)


	4. Standing On The Rooftop

Please don't kill me! I've been dreadfully busy with school and US History AP has consumed all my free time. Better late than never though, right?

* * *

"You what?" I walked away from the ledge, distancing myself from him, and stopped to analyze what just happened.

Patrick Verona, the quintessential bad boy, had just caressed my cheek! He just touched me in a way that could only be construed as caring. My heart, quite literally, was on fire. My breaths were coming in ragged; it was like Patrick had just… I don't want to go there. He had probably used this line on a hundred different girls before.

"Are you hard of hearing, Kat?" I spun around and faced him, witnessing for the umpteenth time the appearance of his trademark grin. "I said that I find you interesting and I want to know everything about you."

Even though there was a good five feet between us, those words had the same effect on me as his hand touching my cheek.

"Oh…" I really didn't know what else to say.

"The famous hell cat has been rendered speechless?" He chuckled and I suppressed the urge to run over and slap him. "I must have magical powers… maybe the vampire rumors are true, after all."

"Let me find a wooden stake then." I needed to get control of these damned teenage hormones before he said anything else even remotely tender and I flung myself at him. If I knew anything about this guy, it was this: he went through girls like underwear. I didn't want to be one.

"Sheeee's back, ladies and gentlemen!" He hopped off the ledge and quickly closed the distance between us. He snaked an arm around my waist, which (I admit) I half-heartedly pulled away from, and half-drug me back to the ledge. He released me, before returning to his seat overlooking the city below.

"Looks like your magic was merely temporary." I pulled myself up beside him and he shot me a grin.

"I'll have to try harder next time." He returned in a tone that convinced me that he was somewhat serious. We sat in silence, listening to the muffled sounds of life below us. Usually, these long stretches of time without conversation would have driven me insane, but with Patrick? I dare say it was… pleasant.

"Aren't you going to ask?" He questioned after a little while.

"Ask what?"

"Well, my secret. When I make promises, I try to keep them. If you don't ask, I can't uphold my end of the bargain and then where would we be?" He looked over at me with, you guessed it, a great big smirk plastered on his lips.

I turned to face him, "I already asked, didn't I? I asked you why you were doing this."

"That doesn't count."

"Why not?"

"It just doesn't."

"Yes, it does, Patrick. One secret for one secret."

"I'm giving you a chance to get a free one and you're arguing with me?"

He had a point.

"If you're giving me a free one, I have to give you one too." I wasn't going to live in debt to this half-man with a smooth, deep voice that…  
It was official: Bianca was going to die. Those horrible sappy movies on the DVR were really getting to me.

"No complaints here. Just remember, when the time comes for my freebie, it was your idea."

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever, Verona."

"Nice comeback. The use of my last name really made it a classic." That same, "I've got you now" smirk was on his face.

I glared at him. Stupid, stupid boy.

"Are you gonna ask me that question or not? I'm starting to think you just want to tell me your secrets, no strings attached, but your pride wouldn't let you."

"Who's the guy in the keychain and why are you so protective of it?" I burst out, hoping to silence him and stop his endless mockery.

It seemed to do the trick. The smirk disappeared and he slowly got up from the ledge. He had a faraway look in his eyes. Patrick looked so lost and desolate that I resisted the urge to go over and hug him.

"Never mind, forget I even asked…" He shook his head and looked me directly in the eye.

"It's my dad." He was quiet, never breaking eye contact. "And I killed him."

_fin._

This chapter was a little short, but necessary- I wanted a cliffhanger of gigantic proportions. The next one will be much longer, I promise. Hopefully I can write it and post it by Sunday.

Special thanks to RebeccaUK for getting me to write this, haha. Your message, dear, reminded me that I had a story to finish!

Thank you for reading and don't forget to review. :)


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